Wild whips of freezing wisping winds slithered ferociously, slathering themselves over a small yellow unicorn. She trudged her way through the near-filly-high, bright white snow. Peach-pink streams of dwindling light only further served to encourage Sunset to reach her shelter. She didn’t like her rusty, drafty residence. But it was all she had. Plus, she needed to get there extra quickly today.
Her only solace against the elements was a white jacket embroidered with an orange sun. Though a bit thin, it’d have to do. It’d hold her through the upcoming week-long blizzard. She knew not who it belonged to before snatching it from a lavish-looking chariot and dashing, but that was their problem now. It also forced her to expend extra energy to escape uncaught.
Taking a frosty breath, Sunset kept to the edges of the street. Her blank flank scraped walls. She stayed focused. By appearing as if she knew what she was doing, no one bothered her. Not that they'd care if they knew the truth anyway. Canterlot slipped on by. The dark of night approached swiftly. Lengthening shadows grew upon brick and mortar and stone and glass.
Gradually, the number of ponies and other creatures meandering in the streets dwindled to zilch. Save the occasional passersby, such as a patrol pair of the royal guard and a drunkard singing merrily whilst wandering. Or others sneaking like her, feigning ignorance of presence in an unspoken agreement. Another icy blast of raging, building, swirling snow bit at her. The coat provided full protection, and she felt thankful for that.
The final rays of color disintegrated. Clenching her teeth, Sunset forced her horn to produce a flickering cyan ball above her. Moonlight enveloped her in the near darkness, save for the poorly maintained streetlamps along her route. Potholes and cracks in older architecture became increasingly apparent. It took much effort to maintain the floating blue sun of her own.
At last, the right landmark came into view–the defunct Yaket Reserve bank. Sunset double-checked no one was looking or following. Nothing obvious. Satisfied, she ducked inside the shoddy alley and withering construction. Her cyan light cast a multitude of shadows as she waddled deeper in. A rusting dumpster and heaps of junk loomed within.
The heartbeat of her home inside thrummed, entry disguised behind a hollowed-out trash heap. However, just as Sunset approached the beginning edge of the dump site, hobbled footsteps echoed behind her. A magical snap, combined with a familiar, metallic unsheathing echo, promptly sent paralysis down her spine. The cyan light popped.
“I see you’re keeping warm tonight.”
Turning around, slowly, revealed a white unicorn, her mint-green aura possessing a blade. The start of the blizzard raged behind her. The fresh zephyrs would drown any call for help. Footstep by footstep, the shivering bulk approached until she towered over Sunset. Dark eyes pierced straight at her soul, Trapped, and unsure of what to do, Sunset stayed frozen.
“Wh-what do you want?” Sunset asked, desperation quaking her tongue. The alley’s dead end felt closer than it ever had been.
“That fancy-schmancy drag ya got o ya.” Her words, though slurred, were clear. The scarce light from behind her added to the frightening appearance. “It’s, let’s just say, rather valuable.”
“B–but I need it to keep-”
A heavy hoof slammed against her stomach, causing her to fly against the wall opposite the dumpster. Pain pounded. A giant, scarlet gash smeared across her forehead. Everything hurt as she reopened her eyes to see the unicorn already standing over her slumped form. She tried to stand, but the wincing doubled as she tried. Hope squeezed itself dry.
The older unicorn spat. “I ain’t gonna give you a second chance.”
“I’ll die without my coat-” Sunset screamed as the knife shot into her shoulder.
“Not my problem!” the unicorn mused, her voice mocking.
The blade tore out, leaving a mess of mangled flesh exposed to the cold. Blood poured. It then lined itself upon her throat. The look in those shifting, heaving limbs told everything. The freezing winds roared into the alley, the storm finally covering all of Canterlot. Sunset cried, unable to see a way out. Without cover, she knew she’d die in the night from the cold. Yet, nor could she survive this.
“Please…”
The unicorn slapped her. “Coat or death!”
The patience in her crazed eyes resonated primal fear inside Sunset. Every part of her body became one with the other. Shallow breaths pooled her into a state of unexplainable nervous calm. She wondered if this was what death felt like to everyone. Physically weak. Magically inept. Literally cornered. Her chances kaput. One last try, before defeat, she told herself.
“W-we c-can sha-are-”
To Sunset’s surprise, the knife instantly swatched downward to plunge into the depths of her lower torso. Slicing deep, she gasped, body shaking. Irritated joy shone in the unicorn’s eyes. Unable to will herself to stay still, Sunset slowly slid to the ground to reach a lain position. The weapon stayed embedded as it mangled further upward.
The unicorn pulled it out a few inches, only to shove it further in. Sunset couldn’t scream. Red spattered across the coat. A thin stretch of ripped fabric showed the wound’s entrance. After a few more full-force thrusts straight at her organs, the knife was sealed back into the thief’s satchel. They simply smirked, enthralled in victory.
She lightly chuckled. “Slow bleeding is whatcha get for defiance.”
Sunset’s thoughts swirled in turmoil. Was this it? She’d survived so long on her own, only to be taken at eleven by some random thug. So many years of survival snapped. The fragile candle of her life snuffed. Angry tears welled. Her parents wouldn’t have wanted this. They’d sacrificed themselves for her. Now it’d go to waste, and the memory of them forever vanished.
A single question boiled to her tongue. “W-why?” It took agonizing effort.
The assailant just shrugged. “Ain’t my fault you got no one to protect you.”
“M-m-monster…” Sunset hoped her expression conveyed.
The unicorn chuckled, leaning closer. “You at least had some spunk.”
Sunset could only stare. Everything just hurt. Darkness creeped her vision. Weakness infected. No resistance came as the coat was carefully unwrapped from her dying body. The unicorn giggled, murmuring to herself. Sunset desperately hoped anyone, someone, found her. Confusing, conflicting emotions battled with this new experience.
“Ah well.” Hanging the cloth over her neck, the unicorn cracked her neck and smiled at Sunset. “See you never. Too bad your parents were too shit to keep you safe.”
Sunset’s eyes twitched. “W--what did you j-just say?”
They spat on her. “You heard me.”
An unexpected fury surfaced awake.
The knife was brought out again.
Something snapped inside Sunset.
No one insulted her parents.
It floated over to finish the job.
They’d given themselves for her.
The knife slashed into her throat.
A crack within Sunset happened.
Sunset’s demeanor, her will to live, flashed by in an instant. She had nothing left to lose. In the slowed seconds, as the sharp metal began to gouge a final slit, a snap of magic crackled along the nodes of her neck. A shockwave burst out, heating the blade furiously. The unicorn trampled back, waving their singed hoof.
Sunset’s horn felt stronger than ever. She felt every strand of energy and magic in her being gathering. She’d been alone for so long. The great anger she felt swelling boiled over. Enormous heat radiated. She anchored everything she had, using her emotional turmoil as an anchor.
A sliver of fear glimmered in the unicorn’s eyes. The dulled metal shot out of Sunset’s throat, stopped from finishing the job. Gross squelching sounds popped. Sunset felt nothing due to the coursing magic. Instinct cast a spell to project a booming far louder than the storm. The unicorn was physically pushed back. The blizzard began swirling around a new eye.
Before they could scramble far, a slur of slushing white rushed from above. It pinned the unicorn against the wall, cooling so rapidly as to entrap her in ice. Sunset staggered up, limping on her injured leg. Crimson drained everywhere yet she cared not. The coat fluttered over to her to wrap around her grievous stomach wounds.
Sunset’s eyes glowed white. Without words, her horn reached the zenith of its coldly mounting magic. Simultaneously, hotness fueled her weak movement, budding on the top of her forehead, Winter’s fury encircled them now. Reaching her attacker, Sunset smirked. This never before felt power, all thanks to nearly dying because of them.
Scum like this unicorn, like those who forced her to live like this, deserved to die. Sunset let the magic overtake her. At that moment, a blinding flash burst. An expansion of blazing white, her as the epicenter, exploded outward. She didn’t care what happened–only that revenge would be completed. Nothing mattered more anyway.
The unicorn’s burning screams satisfied.
Cold swept over as vision faded…
…a painless bliss settled…
….shouts and clanks…
…a multitude handling her…
….shrill noise as something injected…
… consciousness arose….
….. to reveal walls of white flame licking the crater’s ends, glistening on the edge of her vision. Sunset rapidly blinked. Smoky, ashen smells of brick and mortar, charring aroma of melted iron and steel. A charred depth reached inside the earth, as if a massive fiery being scooped a handful out. That had been her home.
Rapidly coughing awake, Sunset shot up. Lying in a cot, she hurt less with the army of bandages. But she wanted to see if anything remained. However, a soft, feathery touch halted her. The jolting action froze her. A descension of great white wings appeared before her. They eased her back to a lain position. Sensing importance, Sunset looked to her side.
“It’ll be okay.” Gray-magenta eyes, filled with a soft glow, stared at her.
“C-cel-celstia?” she weakly sputtered.
“Save your strength, little one.”
Celestial laid her wing across the heavily wrapped chest wound. The love induced in the touch made Sunset sniffle, much as that hurt. What did she do to deserve such kindness? She was alive, she was alive, only now did she receive care. As Sunset’s thoughts buzzed, a fuzzy feeling embraced her.
Focusing again on herself, she noticed it. The coat, though burnt with holes and stained with her blood, clung to her. Its snug tightness embraced her wholly. Only, now, too, did Sunset’s listless gaze notice the princess’s sun-marked flank. A stream of tears fell. Unexplainable feelings wracked her. Celestia just kept smiling, and nodded.
“It’s your turn to keep warm with it.
“B-but I-” she struggled.
“It’s alright. Consider it a gift.”
The softness quashed any tingling of guilt.
“I’m here for you now, now sleep.”
And so Sunset did.
The moon-silver eyes of her mother crossed her fading thoughts.
Unexpected reassurance allowed a restful slumber.
One last thought, cumulative of the day’s events, spoke.
Truly, there was beauty in white.
